Geology of Route 66 Region: Flagstaff, Arizona to Grants, New Mexico The 64th annual Fall Field Conference of the New Mexico Geological Society will be held along old Route 66, beginning in Flagstaff, AZ and ending in Grants, NM. The geology along the Mother Road spans nearly 2 billion years of geologic history, from Precambrian rocks of Grand Canyon to the Neogene volcanic rocks of Mount Taylor. The guidebook contains articles on volcanology, energy and mining resources of the region plus minipapers about the history of Old Route 66. So come get your (geology) kicks on Old 66. Pre-conference Trip will bring a group of participants to the new Trail of Time exhibit on the South Rim of the Grand Canyon. Transportation is provided on this trip. Day 1 travels from Flagstaff north to S P Crater in the San Francisco Volcanic Field, then through the archaeo- logically and geologically fascinating Wupatki and Sunset Crater National Monuments with a final stop at Meteor Crater for some out of this world geology. We’ll wrap up the day with a barbeque on the rim of Meteor Crater and then head on to historic Winslow, Arizona. Day 2 will travel from Winslow to Gallup via Petrified Forest National Park. We’ll spend the day exploring the stratigraphy, paleontology, igneous geology, mining and archaeology of the area. We’ll then continue on for our banquet at the famous El Rancho Hotel in Gallup, New Mexico. Day 3 will see the conference split into three sub-trips: one will explore a variety of features of Mount Taylor from the edge of Grants on up to the amphitheater. The second will examine volcanic features exposed in San Mateo Canyon and the third is a geologic hike across a portion of the Malpais south of Grants. Post-conference Trip will explore a set of fascinating stratigraphic and structural relationships in Quaternary strata in the Rio Puerco area. Conference Organizers Kate Zeigler – Zeigler Geologic Consulting, LLC Mike Timmons – New Mexico Bureau of Geology Steve Semken – Arizona State University Jeffrey Martz – Denver Museum of Nature & Science 2013 Fall Field Conference Schedule Wednesday, September 25, 2013 – Pre-meeting field trip to Grand Canyon and return 7:30 am: Bus leaves High Country Conf. Ctr., NAU 12:00pm: Lunch provided in Grand Canyon NP. 3:30 pm: Return to Flagstaff Pre-meeting registration and ice-breaker 6:00-9:00 pm: Registration and icebreaker party at High Country Conference Center, 1899 Ballroom, Flagstaff, AZ. Thursday, Sept. 26, 2013 – First Day: Flagstaff to Meteor Crater. 7:30 am: Caravan departs from assembly point at Silver Saddle Road, Flagstaff, AZ 12:00 pm: Lunch at Sunset Crater. 6:00 pm: Barbeque dinner at Meteor Crater. 7:30 pm: Caravan Continues to La Posada Hotel parking lot, Winslow, AZ. Friday, Sept. 27, 2013 – Second Day: Winslow to Gallup 7:30 am: Caravan departs from assembly point at La Posada Hotel. 12:00 pm: Lunch in Petrified Forest National Park. 5:00 pm: Caravan continues to the historic El Rancho Hotel, Gallup, NM. 7:00 pm: Banquet at El Rancho Hotel, Gallup, NM. Saturday, Sept. 28, 2013 – Third Day: Gallup to Grants. 7:30 am: Caravan departs from El Rancho. 9:00 am: Rally at the NW Regional Visitor's Center and depart for 1 of 3 optional trips. 12 noon: Box lunch provided on field trips. 2:00 pm: Reconvene at NW Regional Visitor's Center, 3:00 pm: Optional post-conference field trip to the Rio Puerco Valley Guidebook The guidebook for the conference, included with registra- tion, contains 4 detailed road logs, 14 research articles, and 13 mini-papers, covering many aspects of the geology of part of the Route 66 corridor. 2013 Guidebook (full-version, soft cover) incl. *2013 Roadlogs and minipapers (spiral bound) $25 * Purchase online (geoinfo.nmt.edu) or at conference. Registration and Accommodations The icebreaker will be held at the High Country Confer- ence Center, attached to the Drury Inn and the NAU campus near downtown Flagstaff, AZ. A number of hotels are located near the conference center, including many with reasonable rates. Day 1 will end in Winslow, AZ. Participants wishing to stay at the fabulous La Posada Hotel should be sure to book rooms well in advance. http://laposada.org/ (928) 289-4366 Day 2 will end in Gallup, NM with our banquet at the historic El Rancho Hotel & Motel. A block of rooms will be held at the El Rancho until September 5. Please let them know you are participating in NMGS. http://www.elranchohotel.com/ (505) 722-2285 All three days will be personal-vehicle caravans. Lunches, snacks, and beverages will be provided during the 3 days of the conference and the barbeque and banquet are also included in the registration charge. Participants are responsible for their own breakfasts. Registration is limited to 120 persons, so sign up early to get your kicks on Route 66 and do some standin’ on the corner in Winslow, Arizona! Participants should make their own motel reservations in each city as per the above.